“This record exceeds our expectations. We are therefore increasing our unit sales target for 2009 and will be selling well over 130,000 cars in China,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at Audi AG.
The long-wheelbase version of the Audi A6 was the most successful model, with 80,308 sold units - up 16.6 percent as compared to the previous year. Audi A4 also sold well, with 2009 figures pointing to 28,268 sold units of the long-wheelbase version.
Audi is clearly growing in China and the company hopes it has the ability to turn the country into its number one market in 2012 and achieve sales of 250,000 units. In order to do so, Audi wants to expand its dealership network to 200 stores in the country, up from 130 dealerships at this time.
“This substantial increase in our production capacities will fuel our continued growth and boost China’s position as a strategically important market,” Rupert Stadler, Audi chairman of the board said in a release. “The expansion of our production capacities is a key mile marker along the route to this destination.”
Audi posted a 37 percent sales increase in China in September versus the same month of the previous year. It sold more than 15,000 vehicles, raising the total 2009 figures to 108,859, an increase of some 20 percent compared to the January-September 2008 time frame.
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